January 22, 2025
She’s a specialist in flowers. As they appear in medieval manuscripts, as decorations for big fancy capital letters, or inserted as a border, or a section break. Many people don’t realize that the choice of flower in each location is important, and has meaning!
She’s a rare person…
She’s recently written a guide to flowers found in documents from the Middle Ages through the Renaissance. It’s not really a technical book – more of a guide for the layman who finds these sorts of things fascinating! Her publisher has invited her to New York for a couple of days for some final proofing of the cover design and the “blurbs” that will be on the back cover. Dinner will be an event, every night she’s there…
Black cardigan – Alex Mill; pearl earrings – Ninemoo; scarf – Kargede; tee shirt – L.L.Bean; pants – Alex Mill; weekender bag – Paravel; sneakers – Jeffrey Campbell
She has heard a rumor that one day she’s going to be there will be warm. What in the world does one do with ONE warm day? She’s packing pink linen – if she has to layer sweaters over the linen, she will…
heart hoop earrings – OneWildOne; pink pearl earrings – Ninemoo; pink linen top – Boden; pearl pendant – Ninemoo; white shirt – Lands’ End; pink cashmere sweater – Boden; square scarf – Jessie Zhao New York; geometric print scarf – Julia Clancey; black pleated chiffon skirt – Lands’ End; heather cashmere sweater – J.Crew; paisley scarf – Elizabetta; evening bag – INC International Concepts; pink linen pants – Boden; silver flats – Aldo; black ballet flats – Vionic
She’s delighted with her travel capsule wardrobe:
As all wise heroines will do, she takes a close look at what she’s packed, and makes certain that she will have things to wear to meetings with artistic types, and also to go to lovely New York restaurants:
Can you imagine how excited she must be? I’d be delirious…
love,
Janice
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Janice, you are on a roll! This is spectacular. I also always enjoy your stories about who the heroine is for each capsule. I imagine her daily life wearing these beautiful clothes, the trips she takes and the journey she is on. This story captivated my imagination and made me wish I was an art historian, specializing in flowers, traveling the world in research, rather than a Californian teacher, living on the Maine coast.
I particularly love the pale pink sweater and pants outfit!
What a superb collection. The pink linen top and pants is a standout combination. Did a bit of poking around the Boden website and saw some many pretty things!
I love the painting, the capsule AND I want to preorder the book! All perfect for wintery weather.
I would like to read that book!
i love this wardrobe. I’ve been trying to simplify the colors in my wardrobe and this one is so close to what i’m aiming for. thanks, as always, for the inspiration!
Your heroines are such interesting women! I’d love to hear more about this particular woman as well as Edith and the Kingpin and many, many others. Getting to know them through their clothing and accessory choices is a fascinating point of view to write from (remember the woman with the poison bottle clutch bag?). Janice, I’m sure there’s a book in you that is just waiting to be birthed!
Yes to the book! I’d love to buy a book of Janice’s heroines.
Oh how lovely to wear these colours while studying medieval illuminations.
Love the artwork, the pearls, and Oh! That Jessie Zhou scarf! And I don’t even wear pink.
Shiela it would be easy enough to add a little pink to the rest of your crayons! 😜
What did the Cat in the Hat say? “You do not like it so you say, try it, try it and you may I say!” Or something like that! Haha.
Dusty purple tee https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/32709?page=pima-cotton-tee-short-sleeve-crewneck&feat=dusty%20purple-SR0&csp=a&attrValue_0=1506&searchTerm=dusty%20purple&pos=8&imgt=41
Love everything about this one! Stunning. You’ve outdone yourself, Janice!
I realize a weakness I have in compiling my outfits is transitioning seasons. I love the brights of winter and summer but how do I incorporate some pastels for spring or earth tones for fall?
How would this heroine change/update her wardrobe that is perfect for late winter / early spring for summer? Not with the same colors but with adjacent colors?
It’s a lovely wardrobe, it’s just in my nature to say “but what else” or “what next?” But please know I also accept these as lovely inspirations as-is! Thank you!
Growth mindset, I would add a light gray for spring, perhaps in linen or cotton. And I would start adding white as the season progressed to summer. I haven’t a clue about fall, however – maybe burgundy/wine?
Growth, I agree with sewlibrarian. For fall, maybe charcoal grey and dark taupe. Deepen the pink and purple to maybe blackberry, aubergine and merlot. I don’t think that the person who wore the colors we see in this post would look right , or prefer, fall colors of olive, pumpkin and mustard yellow. Great colors that they are. Just my little idea…
This is beautiful. I couldn’t wear the all pink outfit but that’s just my feeling awkward. But how about the top Lucinda is wearing in the painting? That would be wonderful! I do think that changing from long sleeves to short sleeves and changing the weight of the second layer is more important for me when things start to warm up than changing to a light weight pair of long pants and still having long sleeves. I wear shorts/skort and short sleeves very late into the fall/winter season and have worn shorts at least a few days in December most years and even sometimes in January. But not this year. I wish I could attach a picture of our house from Tuesday. Covered in snow and framed out by our 2 live oaks! I never thought I’d see that in Houston!
I would easily and with pleasure go for option 2. But living in Western Europe, that would be in summer, or if on holidays in South Europe, in spring or autumn. These cold and wet winter days I can only dream of the pastel season to come…. Not a snowdrop in sight even yet… patience..
Love this combination, but the black feels too heavy for me with the light colors. I would swap it out for charcoal gray.